November Indie Picks (Plus Exciting Announcements!)

As the festive season kicks in, the folks at ID@Xbox are beyond excited to unveil their handpicked Indie Selects for the month. First and foremost, they want to give a big shout-out to everyone who has thrown their support behind indie games on Xbox over the past year. Indie Selects is a platform dedicated to celebrating games that break the mold—games that might not be huge blockbusters, yet deliver polished, emotionally charged narratives or bring fresh twists to old concepts. Thanks for exploring our suggestions and for backing the brilliant minds behind these games on our platform.

Now, instead of the usual one-week collection for December, we’ve decided to ramp things up with three weeks of Indie Select Highlights for 2024. Beginning December 11, each Wednesday will see the spotlight on 18 of our standout titles from the past year. Make sure to swing by the Indie Selects section in the Xbox Store—just head over to the Games Home tab and scroll down a bit—to discover this treasure trove of must-play indie titles.

Mark your calendars for January 28, 2025, when we’ll be celebrating a milestone—the one-year anniversary of this exciting initiative—with the 2024 Anniversary Collection. Within this collection, our team has selected six top Indie Selects from the previous year that simply can’t be missed and have curated them into a prestigious showcase for all to enjoy. There’s a lot more in store for 2025 with additional surprises, sales, and collections, but let’s savor the present for now.

This month’s lineup is truly crammed with content. With an abundance of titles pushing the envelope in unique design, enigmatic gameplay, and captivating storytelling coupled with pure fun, our team faced quite the challenge in making our picks. Some of us stayed in the October mood, seeking spine-tingling thrills, while others dreamed of crafting bonds with a giant wolf for the next adventure. Many wanted to plunge into a world of mystery, impossible choices, or simply unleash their own creativity. After much deliberation, we’ve come up with a list that should please everyone, and hopefully, there’s something here you’ll remember long after playing. Here’s what’s on offer this month, with no particular preference:

The game “Neva” is certain to strike a chord with many of you. Last weekend, I journeyed through its stunning visual artistry, enchanting design, and captivating soundtrack, which stirred my emotions deeply. Occasionally, it even brought tears to my eyes. It offers a moving narrative wrapped in an engaging gaming experience.

Following the emotional impact of Gris by Nomada Studio, Neva expands upon that winning formula with satisfying platforming and combat elements. It may only take around five hours to complete, but each moment invites introspection and touches the heart in ways few games manage. For those finding the combat elements challenging, the “Story Mode” difficulty removes the health bar entirely, so you can relish the experience without worrying about in-game mortality.

“The Neva narrative is an intense journey chronicled by Alba, a young woman and her curious wolf cub companion, navigating a desolate world haunted by dark forces. These two progress through their struggles as the wolf matures, potentially testing Alba’s devotion. Together, they face the world’s decay and forge a new home amid adversity.”

Switching gears, we have “Animal Well,” a charming Metroidvania with illusory 2D pixel art set in a vibrant, yet eerie and lush environment. As a splendidly squishy blob navigating dark and wet surroundings, players decipher an environmental language that hints at accessing the next area. Progress is made by understanding the mechanics of mysterious tools uncovered along the way. The well’s inhabitants enrich the journey, with some creatures pivotal to complex puzzles in a game where combat doesn’t play a central role. Exploration in Animal Well seems endless, even beyond its conclusion, with massive amounts of content and secrets awaiting discovery.

The beauty of “Animal Well” is the lasting impression it leaves. Throughout my gameplay, realizing the true star of the show is the world itself—a spellbinding living set-piece that keeps engagingly evolving. Each little interaction and the cacophony of environmental secrets felt like drawing back the curtain on an intimate conversation with the developers behind it. Shifting objectives and constant rewards for my observational skills had me hooked. This exploratory joy is definitely for completionists who wish to test their skills without online guides. The thrill of finding every secret is unmatched.

On to “Planet Coaster 2,” which shines bright for fans of theme parks and strategic simulation—delighting both creativity and resourcefulness enthusiasts like myself. From the get-go, you’re immersed in a vivid realm with exceptional visual appeal, supported by characters who guide you through interface navigation, park management, and more. Crafting dream theme parks brimming with potential, I could spend countless hours here! The coaster builder offers intuitive design options, fueling endless imagination in ride creation. But there’s always the reality check of management, balancing staff, finances, and guest satisfaction to keep operations running smoothly.

Sharing creations with others and sampling theirs adds a collaborative angle, bringing fun community engagement to life in a new way that astonishes with boundless creativity—and seamlessly allowing you to implement others’ visions to enhance your designs, whether you’re a veteran of park management or new to the genre. Planet Coaster 2 effortlessly marries strategy, creativity, and community like no other.

For those seeking thrills, “Phasmophobia” is a gripping horror experience where you determine which ghost haunts various locations using paranormal detection tools. Each ghost type displays unique supernatural phenomena documented in your journal; correctly identifying them allows a win victory.

What sets Phasmophobia apart from run-of-the-mill horror experiences is its brilliant use of vintage horror elements—sound cues, lighting, and atmospheric design summon the feeling of investigating haunted locales, inducing life-threatening adrenaline rushes as subtle environmental shifts happen in real time. Inevitably, players are compelled to work quickly while wits are constantly challenged, since resistance is futile in combat—leaving evasion or escape as limited options.

Playing with friends has massive appeal in Phasmophobia. Hearing your friends’ panic over voice chat leading up to and during spirits’ nefarious antics serves both as comedic relief and pulse-quickening terror—making it both exhilarating and terrifying fun when played together.

Next, we have “Fear the Spotlight,” a throwback to 1990s horror aesthetics tightly woven into a gripping narrative that keeps players enraptured. When a nighttime séance goes wrong and Amy disappears, Vivian is left alone to find her friend while navigating the school’s eerie halls. The path is fraught with danger in the form of a man with a spotlight for his head. Since there’s no combat, players must dodge detection by solving puzzles to find key items for progression.

What sets “Fear the Spotlight” apart isn’t sudden jump scares but slow-building anxiety—a chilling ride within an engaging narrative. Engulfed in retro visuals and sound design, the game is a nostalgic nod to 90s horror while carving its own identity with compelling puzzle-solving mechanics.

Lastly, we venture into “Slay the Princess,” a visual novel-slash-adventure where the task is to kill the princess—why though? This question unravels by traversing dozens of options presented by a narrator—a clever twist as approach determines one’s path, inviting new voices, altering perceptions, and shaping the narrative.

Depending upon players’ choices, the princess’s physical form morphs accordingly. It’s episodic storytelling with a modern twist, brought together by wonderful pencil-drawn art and an impactful musical score—not to mention top-notch voice acting. Dark, eerie, and immersive, it captivates your senses. And yes, you will die often in your quest. But worry not—it will drive you forward to uncover the many secrets within. Keep moving, and it will be worth it.

In this unique adventure, choices shape outcomes—even as one story ends, another begins through a hidden narrative imbued with a characteristic haunting allure, beautiful artistry, and atmospheric tone all packaged into an enticing gaming experience.

Neva, Animal Well, Planet Coaster 2, Phasmophobia, Fear the Spotlight, and Slay the Princess—all on Xbox—offer a delightful mix of whimsy, terror, strategy, and storytelling. Whatever genre you lean toward, this eclectic mix caters to discovering experiences leaving lasting impressions beyond this Indie Selects showcase. Dive in, enjoy the adventure, and hopefully uncover something new!